Dental students move into new dorm

Thirty-five Dental School students got their long-awaited first taste of a new residential program Saturday when they moved into the Dental House on the 4200 block of Osage Avenue. Designed to be the nation's first housing facility to integrate teaching and learning for dental students, the program is loosely modeled on the University's undergraduate college house system and is expected to foster improved studies and closer relationships between students in the Dental School, officials said. "It's designed to allow the dental students to interact with each other and work together," said John Economos, the building's manager and an employee of the University City Associates Realty division of the Trammell Crow Co., the corporation which owns and will operate the facility. "More than anything, it's designed to help with their studies and create a strong sense of community." Once the house adjusts to its new tenants, it will have preclinical adjustment labs for residents to practice dental treatment techniques, along with PennNet in every room, a faculty fellow who will serve as an advisor and oversee special programs, a community room and off-campus PennTrex telephone service. Originally slated for opening late in August, plans for the completion of the house -- a yellow manor house situated in the middle of a populated block -- were dealt a tremendous setback on June 22, when a late-night fire destroyed much of the building's third and fourth floors. The fire, which was later labeled an accident, compromised part of the building's structure and necessitated a lengthy period of renovations before any students could move in. Though the building is composed of 46 complete apartments, only 35 are to be occupied this year by Dental students. The remainder are being filled by outside tenants or are to remain empty, Economos said. The Dental School, which is renting the space from UCA, is expected to fill the entire building with students for the next academic year. Students moving in expressed a mix of feelings. Some saw the new facility as a tremendous academic and social opportunity, while others were disappointed with the accommodations and the conditions under which they were asked to move in. "I thought that [the Dental House] was completely misrepresented to us," said first-year Dental student Neil Cohen. "When we first saw the paperwork it looked like it was going to be nicely furnished and it turns out that things aren't that way. "I'm rather disappointed with the place. It looks like a rush job. They tried to cut corners and they penny-pinched, and it shows." Other students echoed each other's concerns regarding the hectic, single-day move-in. Some were especially troubled that it fell directly between two busy weeks of midterm exams. "Having one day makes it tough -- especially right in the middle of midterms week," first-year Dental student Sam Epley said. Epley added, though, that "it's going to be nice. It looks like a great facility and I think it's going to be a nice place to live." "Overall, I'm pretty pleased," first-year Dental student Jason Sudati said. "My expectations were higher but overall things aren't too bad. I think we'll have a lot of fun around here."